FORT MILL – Despite having six wrestlers place, Fort Mill wrestling finished sixth in their own Kingsley Holiday Classic tournament.
The Jackets had three winners out of the tournament and three wrestlers finish in the consolation bracket. Joshua Sturgeon (126), Josh Cizmadia (160) and Dylan Honaker (220) all won their weight classes, while Sebastian Colon (113) and Aubrey Schaffer (170) finished third and Bella Hoffman (120) finished fourth.
The tournament had nine teams from North and South Carolina, along with winner Nansemond River, which made the six-hour trip from Virginia, to participate. Nansemond River had 258 points in the win with Byrnes coming in second with 235.5 points. Fort Mill was sixth with 181 points.
Fort Mill head coach Chris Brock said his team is making progress. The Jackets only entered 11 wresters into the tournament with six of them placing.
“We are making positive steps forward,” he said. “This is a tough tournament. Two of our champions have been two winners from the (Southern) Slam. It is hard to gage our success because the competition is so high.”
Fort Mill was led by Sturgeon and Cizmadia in the tournament. Honaker winning for Fort Mill was an added bonus as well. Sturgeon went 6-0 in the tournament pinning his opponent CJ Heiselman from Byrnes in the third period while leading 8-3. Cizmadia, who also went 6-0 in the tournament, won his weight class 3-0 by beating Bryce Cartee from Byrnes as well, and then won Most Outstanding Wrestler after the tournament for the upper weights. Honaker won 5-4 over Aaron Redfearn from Myers Park at 220-pounds in the finals.
In the consolation bracket, Colon pinned River Bluff’s Michael Rogers in the second period to finish third and Schaffer won by pin in the first period beating Nansemond River’s Madsen Jean. Hoffman fell 13-1 to finish fourth losing to Chapin’s Porter Lesense.
Later in the week, Fort Mill beat Lancaster 68-18 and fell to Indian Land 42-18 the same night as part of a tri-match. The Jackets struggled early against Indian Land, but then rallied some as Cizmadia got his 100th win of his prep career beating his Indian Land opponent 9-5. Also getting wins against the Warriors were Honaker, Colon, Kameron Moyers, and Macguire Harms.
Fort Mill has several individual and dual tournaments they are participating in over the holiday break from school including their own Milltown Duals tournament, as well as the Wildcat Duals where they will wrestle Dec. 30 and 31 at Lexington High School.
Mac Banks: mbanks@comporium.net, @MacBanksFM
